About

My name is Lee Vandervis and I am a Councillor for the Dunedin Central Ward.

I was born in Balclutha 59 years ago to Dutch immigrant parents who ran a successful building contractor business.

My parents always pushed the values of thrift and a broad education. At Otago University I gained a BA in Philosophy before going to London for 5 years overseas experience, working in electronics manufacturing and rising to Production Manager of Midas Audio UK, building mixing consoles for musicians like Stevie Wonder, Supertramp and Pink Floyd.

I returned to Dunedin in 1981 to have a family and set up Vandervision Lighting Audio and Video, making it Dunedin’s largest lighting hire business, and restoring heritage buildings like Dundas st Church and 401 Moray Place along the way. I sold most of my business interests when first elected to the DCC in 2004.

I am married to Antonie with 8 children between us and we believe that Dunedin is the best place to raise a family.

My Councillor record of challenging misrepresented projects and bureaucratic waste has been vindicated by a recent explosion of costs and debt. To stop rate/fee rises and to reduce damaging debt the DCC.

Changing the bureaucratic culture of waste in local government will allow us to better provide for real community needs. I will vote to spend local, encourage more and cheaper parking, and get council to spend within its means.